U.S. Under-20s Convene For Final Training Camp Before World Youth Championship Qualifying In March

NewsFeb 14, 2001

CHICAGO (Wednesday, February 14, 2001)
- The United States Men's Under-20 National Team will convene for a 15-day training camp starting today at the ARCO Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. U.S. Under-20 head coach Wolfgang Suhnholz has called in 19 players for the camp, which is scheduled to include three matches and kicks off with the first training session today at 3 p.m. PT. It is likely the 18-player roster Suhnholz selects for the 2001 World Youth Championship qualifying in Trinidad & Tobago from March 18-22 will be largely made up of players from this camp.

The Under-20s have posted a 4-3-2 record in 2001, including an impressive pair of wins against Mexico in Guadalajara. Kyle Martino (University of Virginia) scored the only goal of the game in a 1-0 win against Mexico on Jan. 30, and two days later Seth Trembly (Colorado Rapids - MLS) scored in injury-time to beat the Mexicans, 2-1. All 17 players that traveled to Mexico earlier this year return for this camp, and will be joined by defender Alex Yi (UCLA) and goalkeeper Doug Warren (Clemson).

The camp is scheduled to include three matches for the U.S. The U.S. will play CSEPEL Auto Trader FC, a local Hungarian club team, on Saturday, Feb. 17, and again on Friday, Feb. 23. The Under-20s topped the Hungarian club team 4-1 last year on March 22. The U.S. will then play the University of San Francisco on Feb. 25, before the players depart from camp on the Feb. 28.

Seven players are from the 1999 Under-17 squad that advanced to the semifinals of the 1999 Under-17 World Championship semifinals. Goalkeeper D.J. Countess (UCLA), defenders Nelson Akwari (UCLA), Oguchi Oneywu (Clemson), Yi and Trembly, as well as midfielders Kenny Cutler (Clemson) and Beckerman, were all on the team that placed an American-best fourth place at the event.

The Under-20 team will reconvene on March 7 in Florida to begin their final camp before traveling to Trinidad for Group B qualifying. The U.S. opens the qualifying tournament against Guatemala on March 18, then faces Costa Rica on March 20 and Trinidad & Tobago on March 22. All of the matches are being played at the Dr. Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence in Tunapuna, Trinidad. The top two teams from the group will advance to the 2001 World Youth Championship from 17 June-8 July in Argentina.

Four high-profile players who are eligible for inclusion on Suhnholz's squad, but will not be in this camp because of club commitments are DaMarcus Beasley (Chicago Fire - MLS) and Bobby Convey (D.C. United - MLS), as well as Olympic teammates Conor Casey (Bortussia Dortmund - German Bundesliga) and Landon Donovan (Bayer Leverkusen - German Bundesliga). Brad Davis (St. Louis University) and Trevor Perea (Duke) have spent time with Suhnholz's team in the past, but will miss this camp due to injuries.

The USA finished 11th at the 1999 World Youth Championship in Nigeria, losing only to eventual finalists Japan and Spain.